solution. if there's a problem, what they want practically is to fix it. >> you don't think the president's misled the american public at all on anything? >> he hasn't misled the public at all. anyone who understands insurance and how these policies come about, and i thought sebelius was very good today saying look, if these personal poll soys are renewed on an annual basis. >> great to have you. that's "the ed show." politics nation with reverend al sharpton starts now. good evening. and thank you for tuning in. tonight's lead, the president hits back on health care. today president obama went toe to toe against all those right wing critics who have been slamming the affordable care act. just a short time ago in boston, the president addressed to those critics head on and told them to explain themselves. >> it's no surprise that some of

the same folks trying to scare people now are the same folks who've been trying to sink the affordable care act from the beginning. and i've said before, folks had actually good ideas, better ideas than what's happening in massachusetts or what we've proposed, for providing people with health insurance i'd be happy to listen. but that's not what's happening. and anyone defending the remnants of the old broken system as if it was working for people -- anybody who thinks we shouldn't finish the job of making the health care system work for everybody, especially when these folks offer no plan for the uninsured or underinsured or folks who lose their insurance each year. those folks should have to explain themselves. >> if republicans have a better plan, they should put up or shut

up. but they can't. because the heart of obama care was originally a conservative idea. and today, the president made sure republicans remembered that. >> this is the hall where seven years ago democrats and republicans came together to make health reform a reality for the people of massachusetts. many of the folks who are here today joined forces to connect the progressive vision of health care for all with some ideas about markets and competition that had long been championed by conservatives and has duval just said, it worked. it worked. [ applause ] >> gee, i knew that hall looked familiar. back in 2006 that's where then

governor romney signed the massachusetts health care law. the same law that become the framework for the affordable care act. i don't remember conservatives complaining about the law then. back then everyone was all smiles, even this guy. a top official at the conservative think tank, the heritage foundation. look how happy he is. but now suddenly the heritage foundation is the group leading the charge against the president's health care law. it's even supported senator ted cruz's anti-obama care tour this summer. and today senator cruz continued that crusade at the headquarters for the heritage foundation. >> it is a particular privilege being here at heritage, heritage plays such an important role in helping articulate and defend conservative principles across

this country. and in no fight has that been more apparent than in the fight over obama care. >> but republicans were on the other side of that fight just a few years ago. they've completely flip-flopped. now the whole right wing is against it. why? because president obama is for it. but he's come too far to back down now. >> and if if was hard doing it just in one state, it's harder to do no all 50 states. especially when the governors of a bunch of states and half of the congress aren't trying to help. yeah. it's hard, but it's worth it. it is the right thing to do. and we're going to keep moving forward. what can happen here in massachusetts could happen all across the country. and for them and for you we are going to see this through. [ applause ] >> joining me now is

congresswoman edwards from maryland and jonathan grew bar, mit economist and he's also advised both president obama and romney on the health care laws. thank you for being on the show tonight. congresswoman, this isn't about website glitches. it's the basic right of health care for everybody. and that was the president's point in his speech today, right? >> i think that's right. the website is going to be fixed. these are technical problem, and they're working through them. the key point is that now today with the affordable care act people can have quality, affordable and accessible health care, and that will be true for millions of people and for millions more who had sub standard health care plans that now have to meet some minimum standard so that they can meet the needs of the american people. >> now jonathan, you advised on

both the romney plan in massachusetts, and you've advised president obama. are these plans similar? is there any major differences? >> al, the federal law is based on the massachusetts law. it's really the same basic structure. it's a great structure. it's worked incredibly successfully here. we've covered 2/3 of the uninsured and it's been broadly popular. and it will be once americans understand what's in this law. >> but the main difference is the mandate, right? >> no. the mandate was put in place here in massachusetts. >> oh, wait a minute. there was a mandate in massachusetts? so all this criticism about the mandate now federal, they forgot about the mandate in massachusetts? >> the basic framework of a mandate was developed by the heritage foundation in the early 1990s as opposition to the clinton health care plan. it was adopted by governor romney, became the law. president obama who remember was initially opposed to the mandate

came around to understand this is the right way to do things. and to his credit he adopted it and maid a part of it plan. >> congresswoman, that's breaking news. they were the ones that wanted a mandate as an alternative to clinton. and now they're the ones that are all over the place criticizing the mandate in the affordable care act. that's got to be a news flash. i'm sure people don't flow that. let me ask you this, congresswoman. people are being kicked off their current plans is grocery misleading the president said today. listen to this. >> for the vast majority of people who have health insurance that works you can keep it. for the fewer than 5% of americans who buy insurance on their own, you will be getting a better deal. so anyone peddling the motion that insurers are canceling people's plan without mentioning that almost all the insurers are encouraging people to join better plans with the same

carrier with stronger benefits and stronger protections, other also be able to get plans about new carriers through the marketplace. and many will get new help to pay for these plans and make them cheaper. if you leave that stuff out, you're being grossly misleading to say the least. >> grossly misleading, congresswoman. they misled us on mandates because they advocated. now the president is saying it is not accurate when they say that people are getting cancellation notices. >> well, i think that's right. and really, if i had had my way we would have a single pair plan or a pub plik option. instead, we accepted the republican plan that was put in place in massachusetts. and what the president said is absolutely clear, and i'm really appreciative of him of clarifying that for 95% of us who have an employer-provided plan we keep our plans. for some of us who had plans in 2010 when the law was enacted we

keep our plan because they were grandfathered in because they meet minimum standards. what changes is that for people who had plans that didn't meet minimum standards they will get upgraded plans. their insurers will provide them for them. >> now today the president talked about how enrollment was initially slow for the massachusetts health care plan. he said just 123 people enrolled in the first month. but more than 36,000 signed on by the end of the year-long enrollment period. so even the romney plan had some bumps in the road early in its going into effect and picked up over time. >> yeah. al, this is a hard thing to do. it's a big lift. you're trying to transform a lot of people's lives in a poostive way, but that involves work and

it was a slow ramp up. as you said, at the start, 123 people. then throughout the year we got more and more healthy, young people and by the end of the year we had almost 37,000 folks. we are absolutely panicking over short term day, weeks, what matters is months and years. and over time how this is going to transform people's lives and to freak out over one week's numbers or two weeks' numbers is totally irrelevant. >> thank you for your time this evening. >> thank you. >> my pleasure. >> ahead, the gop's glitch hunt against the woman leading the way on obama care. the republican ugliness was over the line and so was their hypocrisy. plus ted cruz makes a stunning accusation against president obama. it's not about policy. it's personal, and it's got to stop.

and my live interview with the young lady who's fighting for change and calling out the gop. >> this is not leadership. the young people of north carolina deserve better. i am not a prop. also, what's on your mind? e-mail me. friend or foe. i want to know. reply al is ahead. and just give them the basics, you know. i got this. [thinking] is it that time? the son picks up the check? [thinking] i'm still working. he's retired. i hope he's saving. i hope he saved enough. who matters most to you says the most about you. at massmutual we're owned by our policyowners, and they matter most to us. whether you're just starting your 401(k)

or you are ready for retirement, we'll help you get there. life could be hectic. as a working mom of two young boys angie's list saves me a lot of time. after reading all the reviews i know i'm making the right choice. online or on the phone, we help you hire right the first time. with honest reviews on over 720 local services. keeping up with these two is more than a full time job, and i don't have time for unreliable companies. angie's list definitely saves me time and money. for over 18 years we've helped people take care of the things that matter most. join today.

republicans went over the line, way over the line, during the testimony today of health secretary kathleen sebelius, but they only exposed their own hypocrisy. that's next. try root touch-up by nice 'n easy. just brush our permanent color matching creme

right where you need it. then rinse. in ten minutes zap those grays and get on with your day. nice 'n easy root touch-up. more is better. that's why we designed the all-new nissan versa note, with more technology, to get you into, and out of, tight spots. and more space so that you always have your favorite stuff. and, just for good measure, an incredibly efficient 40 mpg highway. so that when you're doing more, you're spending less. the all-new nissan versa note. your door to more. now get a $139 per month lease on a 2014 nissan versa note. ♪ you know how painful heartburn can be. for fast, long lasting relief, use doctor recommended gaviscon®. only gaviscon® forms a protective barrier that helps block stomach acid from splashing up- relieving the pain quickly. try fast, long lasting gaviscon®.

today the woman leading the way on obama care health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius spent hours on capitol hill testifying about the law's new website and how she's going to fix it. but republicans didn't care about that. they just wanted to point fingers and play games. and since secretary sebelius is from kansas. they seem to think it would just be hilarious if they made a bunch of jokes about the wizard of oz. >> madam secretary, while you're from kansas, we're not in kansas anymore.

>> those folks worked awful hard to go down that yellow brick road. as we go, it's not what people have worked their way to. >> some would say we were in the wizard of oz land considering the parallel universes we appear to be hab stating. >> republicans want to turn the secretary into the wicked glitch of the west. and while they want to click their heels three times and make this law go away, it's not going to happen. these republicans know they can't change the law. so they decided to get ugly. >> why aren't you losing your insurance? >> you promised this would be ready on october 1. >> who is in charge of this, madam secretary? >> that's not an answer. that's not a yes or no. >> but this wasn't really about

attacking the website or even attacking the secretary. if you follow this yellow brick road all the way, you can see that it's really about attacking the president. >> who is ultimately responsible? it is the president, correct? >> for the website? >> the president, the president is ultimately responsible for the rollout, ultimately. >> no, sir. no, sir. we are responsible for the rollo rollout. >> well, the president is ultimately responsible. while i think it's a great that you're a team player and you're taking responsibility, it's the president's ultimate responsibility, correct? >> clearly -- whatever. yes, he is the president. he is responsible for government programs. >> whatever is right. it's not even worth engaging these right-wing critics. because they're not serious. they're just not serious. they did everything they could to undermine the law. and now they're pretending to be upset when the law shows any

sign of trouble. if only they had the brains, the heart and the courage to admit it. joining me now is congressman john yash mut. >> i wish i'd written that intro. that was a brilliant intro. >> were republicans interested in learning what's actually going on with this law? >> no. all they're trying to do is sustain this narrative that this is bad for the american people and that president obama is a socialist. it hasn't worked so far. it's not going to work now. what's wonderful about the controversy over the last few weeks is that the popularity of the affordable care act has increased in the polls. in my state, we have literally 30, over 30,000 people have already enrolled in coverage who would never have had coverage before. we have 350,000 people who are

exploring coverage in our exchange. so things are going well in many pa parts of the country. and as soon as we get these glitches rolled out they're going to go well nationally. and people are going to realize how great this is. >> mitch mcconnell tried to make it seem as if he was sad about glitches in obama care. listen. >> i wish the president and washington democrats had listened back then. i really do. i wish we'd been wrong about obama care too, but because of the failings of this law are about so much more than a website, it really about real people. p. >> he tried to make the law fail, now he wishes they were wrong about it. doesn't seem like they're wrong

in kentucky, congressman. >> no. mitch is in a very difficult spot in kentucky. again, incredible response to the program. our exchanges work very well. the governor's embraced it. and we're having just a remarkable response. and people are now waking up to the fact that for the last three and a half years mitch mcconnell's been lying to them about the affordable care act and what it means for them. so he's going to pay for this next election day, but his crocodile tears aren't going to impress everybody. everybody knows the republicans never wanted to be part of this, never wanted to own any part of it, never wanted to provide health care for the american citizens. they were in control of congress for a long time. and all of these problems existed, higher premiums, all the brang runsies and so forth. they existed when they were in

control and they never did a thing about it. >> one of your colleagues made a strange request in the hearing today. here is congressman of colorado. >> i would like to submit a waiver from my district for obama care and hope that you would consider waiving obama care for the fourth congressional district. >> he wants to exempt his district from the law. but more than 102,000 people in his district are uninsured. so he wants to stop them from getting coverage or getting benefits like free preventive care and cheaper prescriptions. it's outrageous on the face of it, congressman. >> of course it is. and then you have people like him in texas like ted cruz. texas has the largest number of uninsured. you can't even qualify for

medicaid. it's just outrageous. there's no question about it. >> congressman yarmouth, thank you for your time tonight. >> good to be with you. >> coming up, all the obama care noise from the right is not about policy. it's personal. ted cruz's latest ugly statement about president obama proves it. and activism can come in any form. it's the 12 year old fighting vote of suppression in north carolina. madison is here live. and i can't wait to talk to her. next. i love having a free checked bag

with my united mileageplus explorer card. i've saved $75 in checked bag fees. [ delavane ] priority boarding is really important to us. you can just get on the plane and relax. [ julian ] having a card that doesn't charge you foreign transaction fees saves me a ton of money. [ delavane ] we can go to any country and spend money the way we would in the u.s. when i spend money on this card, i can see brazil in my future.

[ anthony ] i use the explorer card to earn miles in order to go visit my family, which means a lot to me. ♪ mom? come in here. come in where? welcome to my mom cave. wow. sit down. you need some campbell's chunky soup before today's big game, new chunky cheeseburger. mmm. i love cheeseburgers. i know you do. when did you get this place? when i negotiated your new contract, it was part of the deal. cool. [ male announcer ] campbell's chunky soup. it fills you up right.

north carolina is ground zero no the attack on voting rights. two months ago right wing governor pat mccrory signed the nation's most extreme voter

suppression law with strict voter requirements. it cuts early voting by a week. bans people under 18 from registering. huge protests have been held across the state since the law was signed. attorney general holder is fighting it, filing a lawsuit under the voting rights act, opposition to this voter suppression comes in many forms and sizes. please meet madison kimbrie. she's 12 years old, and she's making her voice herd far and wide. >> we have leaders here in our state who have shown that not only do they want to reduce the participation of young people in our government they also want to dismiss and belittle our voices. i wanted to meet with our

govern, but he called my request to meet with him ridiculous and called me a prop for liberal groups. this is not leadership. the young people of north carolina deserve better. i am not a prop! i am part of the new generation of suffragettes. >> north carolina does have a serious leadership problem in the governor's office, but not when it comes to this activist. joining me now is madison kimbrie. madison, it's great to have you on the show. thank you for coming on the show tonight. >> thank you so much for having me. >> tell me what it's like to give that speech and have that reaction at 12. >> i was so nervous when i started giving the speech with some of people up there with me. and i was thinking how can i compare my speech to any of these people because they were so amazing, but when the crowd

started reacting like that, i was just like wow. >> wow. i was so thrilled watching you, because i started very young. why did you get involved in this fight? >> i didn't like what i saw happening to my state, so i wanted to take action and see what i could do to stop it. >> well, what part of this law disturbs you the most? >> the fact that 16 and 17 year olds aren't able to preregister anymore. >> what happened the time when you went to the governor's mansion? >> the first time i went to the governor's mansion, i went earlier in the day. and i had to leave because i had a voice lesson. and i was scrolling through my twitter afterwards, and i saw that there were people still out there after my voice lesson, and i pleaded my mother to take me back to the mansion, and she d

and i was out there for a couple hours or so. and that's when the staff person came out to close the doors at the mansion, and we were like oh, hey, those cookies were really good, because he had given the protesters earlier in the day cookies after i left. and so we were like oh, those cookies were really good. we want some brownies. and the staff person was like oh, hold on just a minute and he walks around the corner and comes back out to the gate with these little to go containers of vanilla cake. >> wow. well, if you had met with the governor, what would you have said to him? what would you tell him? >> well, i feel like if i said what i would say to the governor then there would really be no point in meeting with him, but i really just want to talk to him about preregistration. >> now how popular are you around school now since you've had your speech and all of this attention? >> well, i'm home schooled, but,

like, i act and stuff and all of my friends are just like madison, this sh so cool. and a lot of them don't have the same views as i do. but they're still like madison, this is so cool. we support you in whatever you do. and it's really nice to have that. it. >> well, you definitely are no prop. you know exactly what you're doing, and you know how to articulate it. and you really are exciting to me as someone who started in civil rights very young. i wasn't nearly as cute as you are, though. >> oh. >> thank you for your time tonight, and thanks for all your work. >> thank you so much. still ahead, ted cruz is going over the line with his new attacks on the president. it's part of a disturbing pattern on the right, and it's got to stop plus the first lady gets some special company at the white house.

stay with us. [ susan ] ...as though he had never left. the end. lovely read susan. but isn't it time to turn the page on your cup of joe? gevalia, or a cup of johan, is like losing yourself in a great book. may i read something? yes, please. of course. a rich, never bitter taste cup after cup. net weight 340 grams. [ sighs ] [ chuckles ] [ announcer ] always rich, never bitter. gevalia.

but, dad, you've got... [ voice of dennis ] allstate. with accident forgiveness, they guarantee your rates won't go up just because of an accident. smart kid. [ voice of dennis ] indeed. are you in good hands? to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for her, she's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with her all day to see how it goes. [ claira ] after the deliveries, i was okay. now the ciabatta is done and the pain is starting again.

more pills? seriously? seriously. [ groans ] all these stops to take more pills can be a pain. can i get my aleve back? ♪ for my pain, i want my aleve. [ male announcer ] look for the easy-open red arthritis cap.

all of the fear mongering about the affordable care act is really about one thing -- president obama. from day one, republicans have rooted for him to fail. they've said he's not from here. said he doesn't belong in the white house. ted cruz was asked if president obama is like cuban dictator d fidel castro. he admitted there's some differences. >> i think he is absolutely abusing his power. and you have a president who says regardless of whether congress acts, i'm going to force my will on the american people. that's not consistent. >> abusing his power?

the party who held this country hostage is talking about abuse of power? this isn't about policy. this's about demonizing the president. he's a tyrant, a communist, a dictator. >> in an effort to speak -- >> i am not going to take the thuggery of this president much longer. >> he has all the earmarks of a marxist dictate ir. >> watching a dictatorship emerge in front of their eyes. >> in every society and culture where dictators take over, one of the things they have to do is make sure the citizens are disarmed and can't fight in the streets. >> knowing who he is, knowing the kind of authoritarian quasidictator mentality he has. >> quasi dictator mentality.

that's why we see ted cruz again today attacking obama care. we know what it's really about. it's not about the policy. it's about the president. joining me now are karen finney and abbey huntsman. thanks for coming on the show tonight. >> thanks, rev. >> karen, ted cruz is talking about abuse of power. what's behind this? >> well, this is a mien the republicans started. he's a constitutional law professor so they say he's trying to skirt the constitution and he's this dictator. part of that i think is about inciting their audience, right, and riling up their audience because that sort of tea paerkts we're fighting this evil dictate irlanguage, it's very bomb bass particular. ant other thing he likes to do is use apocalyptic language as well. that the aid fordable care act is the end of days. it's dramatic language that they

like to use. and that is both about demonizing the president, activating the base and raising money, quite frankly. >> the president was accused of failing to respect the rule of law. listen to this. >> this administration has not respected rule of law. and has consistently flouted the constitutional limits on the authority of the president. >> now, abbey, i might have missed something, but i thought the affordable care act was law, and i thought the supreme court upheld that it was constitutional. so he couldn't have been talking about the affordable care act. >> and i'm pretty sure ted cruz knows that himself. he's a very smart man. opinions are opinion. but you can't dispute the facts. if you look at the definition of what a dictator is, it's someone who does not rule by democratic mines. if you look at obama care, it was passed through democratic means. it passed through the congress.

it passed the supreme court. so he's going to have to wake up in reality one of these days and realize that this is the law. no matter how many times he tries to repeal it, this is the way it's going to be and it's already in effect. this is a man who makes me boil. he's made a name for himself in the senate as being a complete phony. he has no platform, no agenda. if you think about what he was elected to do and what he's done so far, the only thing i can think of is filibustering a bill he knew would not get repealed in a quasi 24 hour filibuster. he makes me incredibly upset because he has a microphone for the republican party. it's no question you're seeing low poll numbers. >> as abbey says, we can have different opinions, not different facts. let's get the facts. in president bush's first five

years of office, he issued 197 executive orders. in president obama's first five years in office, he's issued only 163 executive orders. >> mm-hm. >> and they want to portray president obama as a dictator? >> well, how about george w. bush lied us into a law thwarting congress that years later we still have men and women dying in afghanistan. if we want to talk about who's a dicktator we need to look at that. ted cruz, if he would read the constitution, a lot of what he preaches is not consistent with what the founders intended in writing the constitution. >> you know, you've been outspoken, abbey, and some other republicans are now calling out tid cruz, the gop called out

scott ridgell. and i think that there can be republicans. you and i have had this discussion. i think it's healthy to have a two-party system, but when you're dealing with no programs, all bombasting, personal attacks, it does a disservice to those who really have some substantive disagreements with the president. >> you even have santorum. he came out and said this guy is hurting the party. you look at obama care with the website glitches you would think this would be a blessing for republicans. it masks their identify long cal struggles and allows them to take some control of the narrative and maybe put forward some ideas of their own, instead, though, they continue to litigate the past, which is

really sad, because this an opportunity for republicans to take hold again. i mean the public is not happy with the website. this is really a chance for them, and instead they harp back on the old rhetoric. you're listening to cruz. it's embarrassing, and i think the party deserves more than this. >> does the overreach harm president obama? >> it further discredits ted cruz that it is such bomb bass particular rhetoric. i don't think anybody sees the president abusing his power. how about syria? he says i will go to congress. when they make those charges it does reduce their credibility. >> in many case progressives and people on the left thought the president would always go for compromise. >> and should have been more of a dictate or.

they wanted him to seize more power. >> you know, abbey, when you look at the fact that ted cruz today started going after hillary clinton with the fear mongering and he said i'm not going, he talked about imagine what hillary clinton would do. is he now trying to shoot to a 2016 argument? >> that's been the plan the whole time. at least that's what it appears like. and, you know, i don't flow kno you've heard, but he's going to be on jay leno. he's loving every bit of it. he's loving the rollout of obama care and the complications. it's not at all about the american people, what's best for the republican party. it's all about him, all about this guy. it makes me angry. and i think it makes a number of republicans angry that do want a positive future for the party and a positive future for the country.

>> if ted cruz thinks can he take on hillary clinton, i say game on. >> that would be entertaining. >> i'm going to have to leave it there. thank you for your time tonight. ahead, advancing the dream with the story of gaining skills and hope from the city of brotherly love, that's next. ♪ [ chicken caws ] [ male announcer ] when your favorite food starts a fight, fight back fast with tums. heartburn relief that neutralizes acid on contact and goes to work in seconds. ♪ tum, tum tum tum tums!

heartburn relief that neutralizes acid on contact maestro of project management. baron of the build-out. you need a permit... to be this awesome. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle... and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. (aaron) purrrfect. (vo) meee-ow, business pro. meee-ow. go national. go like a pro. [ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat? campbell's healthy request soup lets you hear it in your heart.

[ basketball bouncing ] heart healthy. [ m'm... ] great taste. [ tapping ] sounds good. campbell's healthy request. m'm! m'm! good.® campbell's healthy request. i wanted to ask you a couple questions.card. i've got nothing to hide. my bill's due today and i haven't paid yet. you can pay up 'til midnight online or by phone the day it's due. got a witness to verify that? just you. you called me. ok, that checks out. at discover, we treat you like you'd treat you. get the it card with payment flexibility. and his new boss told him two things -- cook what you love, and save your money. joe doesn't know it yet, but he'll work his way up from busser to waiter to chef before opening a restaurant specializing in fish and game from the great northwest. he'll start investing early, he'll find some good people to help guide him, and he'll set money aside from his first day of work to his last, which isn't rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade. add brand new belongings from nationwide insurance and we'll replace stolen or destroyed items with brand-new versions.

we put members first. join the nation. ♪ nationwide is on your side ♪ ido more with less with buless energy. hp is helping ups do just that. soon, the world's most intelligent servers, designed by hp, will give ups over twice the performance, using forty percent less energy. multiply that across over a thousand locations, and they'll provide the same benefit to the environment as over 60,000 trees. that's a trend we can all get behind. here's a confusing fact about the jobs picture in america. the unemployment rate has fallen to 7.2%.

that's about 11.3 million americans. but there are more than 3 million open jobs out there right now. that doesn't make sense, right? millions of people who need jobs at the same time millions of jobs are available. turns out there are many reasons why. the biggest is the skills gap. not enough people with the skills to do those open jobs. that's why we must come together to find smart answers, including retraining workers and providing education later in life. the good news is there are places where this important work is already being done. in philadelphia, they're confronting the problem head on with a program that is giving people new skills and new hope. so tonight we begin a new phase-in our advancing the dream series with the focus on training, on education, on

finding common ground to close that skills gap. joining me now are sheila ireland, director of the program i just mentioned, the west philadelphia skills initiative and joyce bacon who's participated in the program. thank you both for being here. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> sheila, you're able to really help people get skills and get the jobs that they need. how? >> well, over the time that we've been able to be doing the west philadelphia skills initiative, what we've come to understand is, is that in west philadelphia specifically, we've been mining local gold. there's talent in this ranks of unemployed people that you're talking about in terms of the skills gap. and what we're able to do is to provide the connection to major institutional employers. by having a program that puts the job first and gives us the capability to really train

people to be successful in the occupation that they've chosen to compete for, we're able to effectively connect them to work. >> well, joyce, you went through the program. tell us. >> yes, i did. >> in plain language, what that program meant for you. you're a mother of four i understand. what has this meant to you. >> this is a dynamic program. not only do they give you the soft skills to get and maintain employment but they give you that door of opportunity at the end by connecting you with the employer. i'm currently employed at children's hospital of philadelphia, one of the most prestigious hospitals in the nation. and after going through the program, gaining the necessary skills and just enhancing some of the skills i already had and just giving me the boost of confidence to, once i got to that interview, just being able to walk through that door and having the confidence to do that, you know, i'm now working

for this awesome institution. >> let me put you on the spot. do you think you could have landed that job without this program? >> i must say with institution like children's hospital, no. what they did was they connected me. they gave me that open door. and they enhanced my skills. and once that door was open with the connection, with the employer and the opportunity for the interview with the employer, you know,ly to go through that door with those skills that i, you know, that i gained from the west philadelphia skills initiative program and gain that opportunity. now me, on my own, i could have submitted resumes and applied for jobs online. but getting that interview is what's important. and i don't think i would have been able to score that interview as quickly on my own as i was able to do with the west philadelphia initiative. >> and i understand now that you're going for a ba degree in

psychology. >> yes. >> sheila, this really goes against the grain that so many people are ascribed to of saying that people don't want to work. people want to work. they need some kind of way to be connected, to be trained and prepared. and i think this is what your group there, your initiative there is trying to do. >> that's absolutely true. it is our experience with the participants that we have in our programs that it's the small, soft skills gaps that actually prevent the connection to work. it's not that people don't want to work. it's not that people don't want to have gainful employment. it's that sometimes the issues that they have that prevent them from being connected to employment can be terribly opaque to them. so what we do is help them evaluate what it is they want to do, how it is they want to go about doing it, give them the confidence to do so and give them a little push towards that door that we've opened with the

employers. >> well, where do you see your career going, joyce? >> well, i absolutely love working with the children there at children's hospital. i'm working towards, like you mentioned, i'm working toward my degree in psychology. so i think i'm going to be, you know, working in child and adolescent psychology in the future. right now i'm just loving the, you know, just working for such a dynamic institution and being able to learn so much. you know, i started the program in april -- i mean i started working there in april as a patient sitter, one on one individual there for patient safety. and i've been recently promoted to inpatient clerk. so i'm just excited about the opportunity, i'm thankful to the west philadelphia initiative skills program because without that push that ms. ireland mentioned it just would have been kind of hard getting in such an institution. >> thank you both for your time

this evening. and we will keel p up with you d your program. let me say, the reason why we are doing these segments about skills gap in advancing the dream is that there are tens up upon thousands of people out there just like joyce that just need that push, that just needs that skills training. they are not sitting around, lazy and watching big screen tvs. they just need a push. they just need a little skills training. and they can make a productive contribution to society and them selves. we're going to put a spotlight on them. we need to move this country forward so that everyone's dream becomes part of america making the american dream a reality. we'll be right back. humans. even when we cross our t's and dot our i's,

we still run into problems. namely, other humans. which is why, at liberty mutual insurance, auto policies come with new car replacement and accident forgiveness if you qualify. see what else comes standard at libertymutual.com. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy?

one year ago this month sesame street was in big trouble. >> i'm sorry. i'm going to stop the subsidy to pbs. i like big bird. actually like you. but i'm not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from china to pay for to. >> romney was going after sesame street. he was ready to take the knife to big bird. but people started rallying for big bird.

but the man who said he liked being able to fire people was the one sent packing. he never made it to the white house. but what about big bird's sesame street pals? they're still working. and today they were at the white house. yes, elmo and rosita were the first lady's special gist in the garden today. they were joined biwa what, d.c. school children to promote healthy eating for kids. and an announcement on marketing healthier food to children. >> let me see your muscle. >> whoa. >> don't worry, elmo. if they come after you, big bird's got your back, and so do we. cereal that's recommended by doctors? it's post shredded wheat. recommended by nine out of ten doctors to help reduce the risk of heart disease. post shredded wheat is made with only one ingredient:

one hundred percent whole grain wheat, with no added sugar or salt. try adding fruit for more health benefits and more taste in your bowl. it's the ideal way to start your heart healthy day. try post shredded wheat. this has been medifacts for post shredded wheat. [ coughs ] ♪ [ male announcer ] you can't let a cold keep you up tonight. vicks nyquil -- powerful nighttime 6-symptom cold & flu relief. ♪ wears off. [ female announcer ] stop searching and start repairing. eucerin professional repair moisturizes while actually repairing very dry skin. the end of trial and error has arrived. try a free sample at eucerinus.com.

so hurry in and try three succulent entrées. like our new snow crab and crab butter shrimp, just $14.99. only at red lobster where we sea food differently. [ male announcer ] now try 7 lunch choices at $7.99. sandwiches, salads, and more. you know how painful heartburn can be. for fast, long lasting relief, use doctor recommended gaviscon®. only gaviscon® forms a protective barrier that helps block stomach acid from splashing up- relieving the pain quickly. try fast, long lasting gaviscon®. it's time for reply al.

remember, friend or foe, i want to know. does it seem odd that every republican in congress is against the affordable care act? they must have wonderful health care for all their constituents. well, the opposite is true. some republicans, some whom i've had on this show, i've pointed out right in discussions with them, the large percentages in their districts that are uninsured. that's what makes this egregious to me. we're talking about people they represent that have no plan until this affordable care act. it's disgraceful. karen says a koch brothers announcement says don't let government in your health care. if that's true, why should women accept all those state government laws to stop abortion. well, these commercials saying don't let government in your life, don't let government in your health care, it really

contradicts them saying on one hand, government should not help seniors. government shouldn't help people provide the need to provide for their family, but government can regulate your personal life. there's something very, very strange about people that don't want government to have food, put food on the table in your kitchen but want to regulate what you do in your bedroom. that's a little strange to me. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. out of this world. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in this great historic city of philadelphia where we